Pets crates are commonly used in the pet industry to confine pets to a small area. Some pet crates may be used at home for training or at confirmation shows. Conformation shows may also be referred to as dog shows or breed shows. In a conformation show, judges familiar with specific dog breeds evaluate individual dogs for how well they conform to a breed standard—typically set by a national kennel club. Dog shows take place all year long and in various locations. Some shows are small, local shows, while others draw competitors from all around the country or the world.
High temperatures in small enclosures such as, but not limited to, the pet crates used in these dog shows, are often a problem for the pets or other materials within the enclosure cavity. High temperatures frequently occur in the summer months when temperatures are at their peak and pet shows are often held in outdoor arenas, but the high temperatures may occur at other times of the year as well—especially if the small enclosure or pet crate is left in the sun or in an overly heated room without proper ventilation. To combat such heat and attempt to lower temperatures within pet crates, many of these enclosures and pet crates include openings such as a wire mesh window or door. These openings help to circulate the air and allow for cooler air to enter the crate. By allowing air circulation, these openings provide some relief to the contents of the enclosure, and a fan is often hung on the wire mesh door or window to help increase the air circulation.
These prior art pet crate fans, as well as other types of pet crate coolers, are deficient in many aspects. For instance, some prior art pet crate coolers are built into the pet crate and are not adapted to be used with standard pet crates currently on the market that do not have a cooler built-in. Additionally, many of the crates having built-in coolers are heavy, large, expensive, and/or may not properly cool the enclosure under all circumstances (such as when no electric power supply is available). Therefore, these pet crates are not a viable option for many people. Likewise, simple fan coolers often circulate warm air and do not lower the temperature at all. The lack of a portable system that is adapted to cool standard pet crates causes many problems during summer dog and animal shows as pets are often required to be kept in outdoor overheated crates in-between performances.